Hinder Original Series
by reiko.souma
Summary: The first of my middle-school writings to be made public. A must-read for anybody who wishes to learn Japanese but can't afford to take classes. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: はじめに､ はじめ

Series - Hinder  
Book One - Trouble In Paradise  
Author - xxreikoxxsoumaxx

Disclaimer: I own every character that is used in the making of this story unless otherwise noted. If you have any questions or concerns about any of these, or the usage of Japanese throughout the story, then feel free to send me a message. All criticisms are welcome! (Yes, that sadly includes flames...because I know I'm gonna get at least ten of them between now and forever. Y.Y) Enjoy!

Introduction

A past was revealed by a young girl. She may have looked normal on the outside, but the inside was another story, one that held a secret that very few people knew about. Beauty had nothing to do with this secret, as her outer image served as a front which hid the secret that cut deep within her soul. Who was this girl, and what is this secret? You'll find out soon enough...

はじめに。

Chapter 1: はじめ

I got on the bus, feeling rather exhausted. The day had been a long one, but at least it seemed to end on the right foot...even if it had started off wrong. Being one of the last to arrive, I was forced to double up with some random person at the edge of the seat headed towards the back. _Ugh...I knew I shouldn't have spent so much time at my locker,_ I thought as I sat down with a sigh. Being one of those who had landed on the bottom of the popularity scale, I dared not look to my left or right, but rather ahead of me as the buses started their ritual departure from in front of the middle school and high school one at a time, like ants marching to their little homes underground. Heaving another light sigh, I sat back on the seat and held my ten pound backpack on my lap as I raised my eyes to stare at the roof of the ugly yellow bus. I paid no attention to the conversations going on around me, which was of no surprise to me or anybody else, since they were the ones who had taken it upon themselves to either ignore me or hate me. Either way, I said nothing aloud. It was within my mind that I did the thinking and speaking...to myself, making my priorities and organizing my thoughts.

I suppose that it should be during this bus ride that I do a bit of explaining. First off, the pink-haired midget that's being hated by just about everyone in the town of Bayville, New York is me, Reiko A. Souma. I'm eleven years-old, which means that I'm the baby in middle school...literally. Originally born in Sterling, Connecticut, I came to New York after my parents died and, being the only child with nobody else to go to in the family, I was placed in a home with other people within my age group who were either orphans like me, runaways, or had chosen to move in with their parents' consent when things just didn't work out at their place. To call the home I lived in an orphanage would be utterly incorrect. In fact, the home I lived in was the exact opposite, and why? There's just one word that could describe our living situation:

Mutant.

That's right, you heard me. I didn't stutter, that's for sure - I'm a mutant. What, you mean to tell me that the pink hair didn't give it away already? How about the pink eyes, not to mention the two fine lines above my eyes that are supposed to be my eyebrows, and my skin that makes me look like a ghost or zombie...maybe even an albino. I'm still trying to figure out that part, but whatever. It doesn't matter to me, but that would explain why just about everybody I see wants nothing to do with me. Oh, well. I can live with it.

Anyways, my legal guardian is a man named Enzeru Kouken, a young-looking guy with silver hair and skin that's almost as white as mine, but not quite so close. I first met him when I was four, after my parents had shut me up in my room yet again. I'd only been allowed outside of my 'world,' as I'd come to call my room, whenever there was no company. Even then, there were times when they would become angry for just _looking_ at me and 'punish' me to my room. It didn't bother me at all - I had everything I wanted, but I especially had my piano, and I knew that my secret was safe there. _Secret...I can't believe that I have to use that to cover my tracks. What's wrong with being a prodigy? It's not like anyone's going to care._ The way Enzeru had explained it to me at the time, I was so smart that, if I tried hard enough, my intelligence could make a mountain explode and, to avoid this, I had to play along with everyone else and keep my genius down. This leads to my other big secret:

I'm a psychic/absorber, and a powerful one, too. I was even more powerful than Enzeru--

"Hey Souma, if you're going to sit there and daydream, then you can at least get up and let me out!" the person sitting to my immediate left said; her voice alone made my thoughts scatter to Guam, and I stood in the aisle to let the brunette out before sitting down again. What a relief to have a seat to myself again.

_Note to self, make this week the last week I take the bus before the month of June._ It was already nearing the end of May, and June was only a few days away. That meant I only had two weeks of school left before my summer vacation, but I was faced with the temptation of going genius for the sake of never having to go back to school for the rest of my life. I had only been at Hinder Middle School for week, but I hated it from the moment I took my first step onto the campus grounds. Sinister vibes climbed up my back from that first step, and it had been giving me the creeps since. I could barely sleep at night; some part of my mind was warning me about some evil presence within, and the dreams were no good. What was I to do? I didn't want to let Enzeru down - not after he had gone out of his way to take me into his home on that day, seven years ago:

_I had been sitting there in the corner of my room, curled up between my piano and the wall, crying. My parents had just died, sliced up into pieces because of my powers. My telekinesis had done this. I was the telekinetic one, so that made me responsible for their murder. I was a criminal...but I didn't want to go to jail! "Mommy...Daddy...I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I didn't mean it!" I had wailed, but then I heard footsteps getting louder and shut up, burying my face in my knees and letting my hair cover my body like a blanket. When the footsteps went away and I didn't hear them after minutes, I ended up falling asleep in the corner._

_"That must be her, the one who did all of this." A gentle voice said, obviously belonging to a male. I woke up then and popped my eyes open wide, raising my head. "Easy there...it's going to be all right. I'm not going to hurt you, nor are you going to hurt me." I saw the silver hair and sized the man up. "My name is Enzeru Kouken. I heard you crying out for help and was nearby, so I came to see you...my young Reiko." I gasped and stared in fright. How did he know my name?! "You're still in shock from everything that's happened to you tonight, but will you at least let me take you back to my home? It's either that, or the people on the outside will put you in an orphanage in who-knows-where. You don't belong with anyone else but me."_

_"Will...will I be able to see my parents again?" I had asked._

_"I'm sorry, Reiko...your parents are dead. Do you not remember that it was you who killed them with your own telekinesis?" Enzeru reminded me, and I lowered my eyes silently as Enzeru came over and lifted me into his arms. "I promise to take good care of you, Pink Widow." I lowered my head onto his shoulder and stared ahead blankly while he carried me outside to his car, a black limousine with windows that were so black in its tint that nobody could see inside, even if they were to smush their faces up against the glass and use magnifiers. When the door opened, Enzeru laid me across one of the long seats before approaching the limo's driver. "Help me get her things." he instructed, that being the last thing that I heard that night before falling into a deep slumber once again._

"Reiko..._Reiko!"_ I gasped and looked around; I was on the bus, and my stop was just seconds away. "Man, that pink hair of yours must really be affecting your intelligence more than ever - not like you're not stupid enough already. Now get up so we can have our seat back." The person speaking was a high school sophmore who attended Hinder High School, not to mention that he was the oldest person on the bus after the bus driver. That granted him some kind of unwritten authority which held no meaning to me whatsoever, so as I rose and positioned my black backpack on one shouler, I glared at the sophmore. My pink irises gave a faint glow. "What the..?"

「イチゴ。。。あなたがの毛はイチゴすきです。」 I said quietly, for only the two of us to hear. ｢あなたがの血。。。いい匂いがする。」 I knew that he could understand every word that I was saying to him, and he was getting the message, what with the look of fright that was now forming on his face. 「止まるます。」 With that final warning, I turned and walked off the bus alone, not caring about those whose eyes were following me until I was no longer within sight. "Heh heh...I just love a little bit of entertainment." I said with a tiny smile. It disappeared when I saw Zander standing at the gate to the home I lived in, the place that we had all come to call 避難所､ or Sanctuary.

"Reiko, you didn't by any chance use some of your powers during the ride home, did you?" Zander asked as I walked past him and through the still-closed titanium gates. "You know how the Professor disapproves of such actions." I ignored his question and pushed down on the lever that opened the gates from the inside, even though I knew that he was absolutely right. Enzeru had drilled it within all of our minds the one lecture to never use our powers in public. I understood all of the reasons why, but I shot holes in all of them with my logic. "Professor" Enzeru never reminded me about this; that's because Enzeru was much more than a professor to me. He was my hero, my guardian angel, the one who never hesitated to lend a hand at any given moment. That was one thing that Zander and the rest of the residents at Haninsho would never understand. "You're unusually quiet today. Don't tell me you're plotting something inside that mind of yours?" Zander teased, walking by my side, but I didn't think there was a single bit of humor in his words, so I stopped and stood as still as a stone. Ice formed on the ground and climbed up his right leg. "Reiko-"

"Don't cross the fine line of trust that exists between me and the others, Zander." I cut in before he could go on. "When have I ever spoken of my matters to anyone aside from Enzeru? You don't mean to tell me that you wish to try compromising yourself by doing the job that nobody else _but_ Enzeru himself can do?" When Zander was silent, I continued to walk after melting the ice that I had formed around his leg. "Remember that should you ever try to take advantage in the future." I added before walking through the doors of the mansion to the foyer. It was silent as always. I liked that; that meant I was granted my peace as I climbed the single flight of stairs to my room, a room that was like none other anywhere in the mansion. It was the biggest room after Enzeru's, made for a princess...

Or a queen.

_"Queen Reiko. I humbly offer this room to you with the knowledge that you will one day be my own."_ Those words, even now, remained at the front of my mind. Why? I was constantly reminded of the kindness of Enzeru's heart, although I didn't know what his purpose had been in making that statement to me. _"You will one day be my own."_ A kiss to my forehead had sealed his promise to me on that first night. Now it enabled my complete focus on my homework, which only took a few minutes to do and, once that was out of the way, I remained at my desk as my eyes soon landed on a framed photo of Enzeru and myself. It had been taken on my first full day at Haninsho, and he had bought a long white gown for me to wear, exclusively for that occasion. He wore an all-black tuxedo and suit, with a pink azalea pinned to his jacket. Black roseheads lined my hair as the confused photographer had snapped the photo after giving up on trying to get me to smile. _"To celebrate your first day in a new world."_ Enzeru had said when he presented me with a pink-and-black gift box. Saying nothing, I had looked up at him through my big pink eyes. _"Go on, open it."_ he prodded, and I carefully removed the bow and wrapping paper without tearing either of the two. There was our picture, framed in black with pink lace and the words 'Family + Love Unity.' Now, seven years later, I still didn't understand the equation...

_"Reiko, you must understand why we could __**never**__ allow our little girl to ever depart from within these walls," Mother had said to me one day. I was three years old, and it was one of the very few days that the Souma mansion held its peace. In any case, Mother took me by the hand and walked me over to the mirror that hung in the hallway outside of the water room. "Take a good look at yourself...what is it, I wonder, that you see staring back at you?" I stood there, unmoving, as I studied myself. "I want you to stay in front of this mirror until you're able to tell me what you believe our reasons are for never allowing you to see the light of day. And then you are to return to your room afterwards and rest up. You've got quite the long day tomorrow."_

_"I...know." I said with my eyes still glued to the mirror. "You're both afraid...of me. You're ashamed. You don't want to be seen with me outside because I'm so different from everyone else." I turned to face my mother at last. "That's why?" Mother said nothing, but I could see that I had hit a rather deep nerve. "You give birth to me, but you are ashamed because I am not your dream daughter." She stormed off, and I knew that I had upset her. I saw her tears and sensed the emotional pain that I had caused her. It was all my fault, that day. I knew that there would be a scar so close to her heart that I would never be forgiven for yet another thing I had done wrong, just like everything else._

_Just like the night I murdered them with my own mind._

"Not a single word you said to your mother that day was unforgiveable, Reiko." I raised my head and turned it to find Enzeru standing behind me. When had he come, and for how long? I looked away again. "You merely spoke the truth to her that night, and it was your words that hit her hard with conviction right to the deepest crevices of her stone-cold soul. Why do you insist on beating yourself up on such thoughts?"

I said nothing.

"I couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere was rather heavy upon your return from school. You used your powers, even after I told you quite a number of times not to do so in public. What circumstance gave you permission to break this crucial rule?" My eyes widened at the stern tone that Enzeru had taken on, and I was instantly reminded of Father's last punishment. Cold drops of sweat inched down my face as I didn't even dare to think of the punishment that Enzeru would give me for my disrespect. I sat in my mobile chair, frozen in fear. The hallucinations of Father's beatings on me with a whip came back to me, and the tears came. "Reiko, you-" Enzeru turned me in my chair and placed his hands on either side of me. "I was wrong to bring back those memories. Please forgive me," he said. _But first, those hallucinations..._ With one hand to the back of my head and his lips gently touching my forehead, I could no longer feel the beatings upon my back, but rather the warmth of Enzeru's heart upon me. "Are you all right?" he asked when I had recovered moments later. I gave a nod, and he gently replaced his lips with his hand. "Good to hear - try to keep your mind focused on other things whenever you feel the memories starting to come back. Oh, and should you ever feel the urge to use your powers outside of the circumstances in the future, be sure to expect a double-up on your training sessions. I believe I've been more than lenient to you thus far, more lenient than to everybody else. Remember that."

"I...understand," I said, rising as Enzeru left me alone again. _Who am I kidding, thinking that Enzeru would never find out about my anger on the bus? What an idiot I am..._ I knew that I had many enemies; Enzeru couldn't convince me of otherwise. The world was full of dark, cruel, and evil-hearted people who cared only for themselves. Selfishness and greed were the downfall to every man's life, and it would be the downfall to the world soon enough. That I was sure of. The world would end eventually, whether for good or ill. "But why me?" A ray of light came through my window, and I stepped out onto the balcony that I shared with none other. I had this feeling - tonight was going to bring a beautiful sunset. It was the one part of nature that I didn't despise. Anything that man didn't create with their own hands was anything that I admired. Who were we to take for granted the gift of life and use it for our own selfish desires?! _"Who are we to destroy the works of one who is more powerful than every being combined?!"_ I shouted telepathically. The last sound that could be heard from me was the sound of my fists pounding the railing in front of me, causing the whole section to break apart. "Oh..!" Dizziness impeded on my mind as I fell to my knees. A pair of hands caught the body with a fading consciousness just as the door opened. Enzeru's hands.

"Souma-senpai!" Saya, one of my close friends at Haninsho, cried, running over. "Professor, is she..?!"

"Everything will be all right, Oki-san. She's just exhausted is all." Enzeru said as he lifted me from the ground and carried me over to my bed. Laying me underneath the blanket that matched everything else in my room, he waited for Saya to leave before sitting down by my side. "Reiko, you went and got yourself stressed-out again, didn't you?" I hung onto my consciousness as much as I could. "This is why I share with you these that I am unable to confide with any other. You will be mine one day, my Queen, but you must continue to grow. At the moment, you're far too fragile. Your power more than makes up for this. Do try to take my advice into consideration this time..." He sat me up and gazed into my eyes deeply; his face drew closer to mine. "My Pink Widow." His lips touched my neck while I found myself in his embrace, and I was blank as I felt his tongue licking the spot where his lips had just been. "I want you...as my own." If it was one thing that I knew about Enzeru that nobody else knew of him, then it was his identity altogether; he was a vampire, and one of the highest ranking. Often called Junsuina, they had the power to turn anyone into a vampire..if the blood didn't intoxicate them to death first. Enzeru's fangs were millimeters away from my neck when the alarm sounded, and he moved his mouth away. "I'm sorry, Reiko," Enzeru said sincerely, "I wasn't behaving myself. Please, try to get some rest." I nodded as I laid back down and fell asleep.

_"Vampires certainly do exist. If you get bitten, you'll end up becoming one yourself."_ I woke up at this and sat up with a start. _No...that's wrong. They don't know what I know._ I was the only one at Haninsho who knew that Enzeru was a vampire, and I had seen his fangs. They had almost pierced my neck; my fingers traveled up to the spot where he had licked and gently touched it. _Saya's worried about me; I can sense it from a mile away._ Saya Oki hailed from the middle of nowhere in Wyoming, and boy, I mean _nowhere._ As the oldest of ten, the fifteen year-old Hillbilly came with such a heavy accent that I have to stifle a chuckle everytime she speaks. Her hair reminded me of my mother; it was dark blonde with a little bit of white mixed in. Blue eyes complimented the outfit that she was wearing today, just a casual white T-Shirt and jean shorts, as well as her size six figure at five and a half feet. Saya came to New York three years after I did. Her one power under the codename of Dash was obviously speed, but it was nothing compared to what I had. Only Enzeru knew what I truly had as far as powers were concerned.

Zander Horn was born and raised right in New York, his family living right out of Manhattan. With two older brothers, he had been at a disadvantage, what with him standing almost six feet while they were a bit shorter than that. The tan gave his skin color and made his dark brown hair look black. He was fortunate to have brown eyes on top of that. Stubborness ruled Zander's life and earth-based abilities, earning him the name Shatter, and he was a natural-born athlete, which attracted some attention from the other juniors at Hinder High. Unfortunately, Zander was the one who happened to like me romantically. I had no interest in anykind of relationship! I'm still trying to adjust to living a normal life! Why would I want to waste my time dealing with silly crushes and dumb relationships?

Enzeru was, sensefully, the mysterious one. He was the one that everyone called 'Professor,' but I simply called him 'Otou-san.' I figured that he had come from Romania, seeing as how he's a ジュスイナ, but I was wrong - Enzeru was actually an immigrant from Iceland! Only the strongest of the vampires came from there, and he was the cream of the crop there. His family had been dead for centuries now, completely ignorant to the knowledge of his being a vampire, but now the secret had been passed to one, that being Yours Truly. His white skin wasn't as white as mine, and I knew that was something he was concerned about. After peering inside of Enzeru's mind during one of my sleepless nights, I'd learned that he feared my being a vampire, that I would never be able to see the light of day again. _Heh_ - do I **look **dead to you?

Never mind. Don't even bother trying to answer that one. That was just me having a 'duh' moment there, as I rose out of bed and put my sneakers on before walking out into the hallway. It was clear that I was one of the few people here at the Haninsho, so I followed my telepathy to the closest person within, that being an Englishman named Ichigo Hanachi. The light-skinned blonde was of few words in a crowd due to his shy personality and his mixed emotions about his size. _So he's a skinny six-foot at twenty, tall like Zander. Big deal._ I hadn't even hit five feet yet, and yet I didn't care whatsoever about my height or weight. Poor Ichigo. He had been disowned by his father, and his mother had passed away from cancer two years ago, so I felt particularly close to him, despite his never meeting me in person. I knew him as Frigid, but he didn't know me. He was skilled in ice; his additional skill was charm. Since Ichigo was in the library, I walked there and stood inside the doorway, watching him as he read one of the many books that were in the collection. Slowly, I inched forward, making sure that my footsteps were silent as I came closer.

"Oh? And who might you be?" The blonde had stopped reading, and now the closed book was resting on his lap. "Pink hair...could it really be? Are you Reiko Souma?" I froze dead in my tracks. "Yes, that's right...the professor informed me that he'd left you behind because you had an episode. Are you all right?" I sized Ichigo up, then nodded.

"You...are Ichigo?" I asked him.

"I am. It's such a pleasure to meet you at last, my young friend." Ichigo said, "Please allow me this very honor..." He rose and walked over to me, giving my lips a soft kiss -

_WHAP!_ The white hand across Ichigo's face, only it hadn't been my hand that had done the slapping. Once again, Enzeru was there for me, whether I thought I needed him or not. "Ichigo, you should know better. What I say goes, even in my immediate absence."

"Y-yes, Professor." Ichigo stammered. Meanwhile, Enzeru turned to me, putting me in his gentle embrace.

"Come, my Reiko." he said, ushering me out of the library and into his office. As soon as the door shut, he told me to sit, and I sat. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that with Ichigo. Did he hurt you?" I shook my head. _Not talking. There's something she isn't saying._ I watched as Enzeru walked over to his desk and sat. "What caused you to use your powers on your way home from school today?"

"Enzeru, I don't want to go back to that place," I blurted suddenly. My words shut him up and left shock on his face, which gave me the time I needed to go on. "There's something at that school - something evil, sinister - it's all over the place. I won't go back." I tucked my knees underneath my chin and hugged my legs, resting my head on them. "It scares me, the vibes." No matter where I had to go, I always got the sick feeling within that there was much more to Hinder Middle School than what meets the eye. The sinister presence was at its strongest on the top floor, as well as the basement. Whatever this sinister presence was, I was determined to find out what it wanted, what its purpose was. Maybe it was another mutant? Perhaps they needed help. At this, I was ignorant.

_That sure does explain why Reiko hasn't been sleeping well lately._ Enzeru looked at me with clear concern on his face. "Reiko, open up your mind to me." he instructed. "I'd like to understand this." Without moving, he had brought my chair right over to his side, and now I felt his warm hand on my forehead while I shut my eyes and revealed to Enzeru everything that my mind contained about Hinder Middle School. _Just as I feared - Reiko's right; the vibes are scaring her because the creature that the vibes are coming from are __**after**__ her. No wonder she doesn't want to go back there. I can't blame her there._ With his hand no longer on my forehead, I opened my eyes again. "Assemble the full team, Reiko." I nodded and rose, running from the room. The only reason he would want the full team for a mission was in case of a dangerous mission, and the mission to the school was indeed dangerous. _"Have them meet in the garage."_ I went from room to room and woke Saya up first.

"Reiko, what is it?" Saya asked, rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Full-team mission, Saya. We need to meet in the garage." I told her before exiting her room. One of the team members, Rini Mitsuma, had heightened hearing and a banshee's voice (thus the name Banshee) and was already awake. "In the garage." I simply said to her without even going into her room. There were still Zander, Ichigo, Hitori Sun, and Aidou to wake up, and Aidou Bui (Prowl) was a dangerous one to wake up at night. He was a lower-level vampire than Enzeru, not to mention that he was a royal flirt. Hitori (Mizuno) was a loudmouth water brunette from Illinois, and she had an immense crush on Aidou. Good for her. I considered sicking Hitori on Aidou but then decided against it, knowing that it wasn't her duty to wake everyone up. It was mine, so as I woke everyone up, I came to Ichigo's room last and phased inside. "Ichigo?" I gently placed my hand on his shoulder; he opened his eyes at once and froze my hand, tossing me underneath him. "Stop it, Ichigo...we have to go on a mission." I kicked him off of me and rose, gripping my formerly-frozen hand.

"Aw...and here I thought you were here to entertain me." Ichigo complained.

"Don't let Enzeru hear that coming from your mouth." I cautioned before leaving him alone. Looking down at my hand as I went to the garage, I closed my eyes and healed the minor pain that I was feeling just then. Apparently I was still holding onto my hand when I walked over to Enzeru's side; we waited in the front seats of the van, as he grabbed it and looked it over.

"Ichigo?" He asked. I nodded. "He's getting reckless." I remained silent as the rest of the team, 腕時計夜 arrived in their

uniforms. Enzeru didn't let go of my hand. "We're headed to Hinder for an investigation. There's reason to believe that there's a strong presence of evil lurking within, so when we get there, we are to stay together unless I tell you otherwise." We nodded affirmatively, and Enzeru finally released my hand to start the car. We all buckled ourselves in and rode in utter silence to Hinder Middle School. On the way, I cast a few quick glances over to my left before looking away again. Enzeru, I knew, was watching me carefully. _"Everything's going to be all right, Reiko. You don't need to worry. I'll never leave your side."_ His voice spoke directly to my mind, and I sighed lightly.

_Yeah...you tell that to my stomach,_ I thought.

Notes: This is my very first time publishing a story on Fanfiction. I'm so excited! I'm fluent in Japanese, but I don't wish to get you non-Japanese readers out there confused by writing the entire thing in Japanese...that wouldn't be very fun, now would it? That's why I'm gonna teach you how to say a few things in each chapter! がんばって!

Translations:  
-初めに。 Hajimeni: At the start  
-初め｡ Hajime: Beginning  
-「イチゴ。。。あなたがの毛はイチゴすきです。」 "Ichigo...anata ga no ke ha ichigo suki desu.": "Strawberries...your hair is like strawberries."  
-｢あなたがの血。。。いい匂いがする。」 "Anata ga no chi...ii nioi ga suru.": "Your blood...smells good."  
-「止まるます。」 "Tomari masu.": "Stop it now."  
-避難所 Haninsho: Sanctuary  
-ジュスイナ Jusuina: Author's term for the highest level of vampire (kind of like in Vampyre Knight, only not really...)  
-腕時計夜 Udedokei Yoru: "Night Watch" (The name of the alliance that Enzeru leads)

Characters:  
-ルイコ　A. ソウマ｢桃色の未亡人」 Reiko A. Souma "Momoiro no Miboujin": Reiko A. Souma "Pink Widow"  
-エンゼル「教授/お父さん」 Enzeru "Kyouju"/"Otou-san": "Professor"/"Father"  
-ザンデル　角　「砕く」 Zanderu Tsuno "Kudaku": Zander Horn "Shatter"  
-左翼　置き　「突進」 Sayoku Oki "Totsushin": "Every Left Wing, Dash" (aka Saya Oki)  
-苺　ハナチ　「冷たい」 Ichigo Hanachi "Tsumetai": Strawberry Hanachi "Frigid" (aka Ichigo)  
-合いどる　ブイ　｢うろつく｣ Aidoru Bui "Urutsuku": Idol Bui "Prowl"  
-リニ　ミツマ　｢バンシイ｣ Rini Mitsuma "Banshii": "Banshee"  
-一人　スン　｢水の｣ Hitori Sun "Mizuno": "Sun & Water Alone" (aka Hitori Sun)

Next chapter will hopefully bring in a new character or two!

さようなら!


	2. Chapter 2: イムプ戦う

Series: Hinder  
Title: Trouble In Paradise

Disclaimer: I own every character that is used in the making of this story unless otherwise noted. If you have any questions or concerns about any of these, or the usage of Japanese throughout the story, then feel free to send me a message. All criticisms are welcome! (Yes, that sadly includes flames...because I know I'm gonna get at least ten of them between now and forever. Y.Y) Enjoy!

Chapter 2: イムプ戦う

_"Hi Miss Alice, anata garasu no me de donna yume wo. Mirareru no? Miirareru no? Mata atashi kokoro ga sakete nagare deru. Tsukuroutta sukima ni sasaru kiokutachi. Still you do not answer...still you do not answer."_ The words that ended one of my favorite anime shows on TV were going through my head as I was again reminded of what Enzeru was...is. And what Aidou is as well. Still, Aidou's power is no competition to Enzeru's power. I wondered if tonight would be the night that Enzeru was going to reveal his power to the rest of the team. _Probably not..._ I thought.

"Reiko," Enzeru's hand was on my shoulder, and I broke out of my realm of daydreams. "We're here..." I looked to my right and froze - there was Hinder Middle School, right in front of my eyes. And here I was thinking that it was scary during the day. "It's all right." Enzeru said, and I phased through the door and seatbelt to join the Yorus over at the wall. _Reiko's still afraid, but I know that it will quickly fade in the midst of battle._ Enzeru led the way to the door, but I knew that there would be no opening anything without setting off the alarms. "Everyone, hang onto Reiko. She's our one way inside." With everyone's hands on my shoulder, I felt important as I led the way inside the school. The vibes returned, only now they were stronger than ever, and I shivered, hugging myself.

_I don't want to be in this place...it really is scary at night._ I thought, following behind everyone as we looked around.

_"Come."_ It was a whisper, coming from the opposite direction of where we were walking. I turned to see if anyone was behind me, but there was nobody. Passing it off as my imagination going wild, I kept on walking.

_"Come."_ There was that whisper again, and I stopped.

"Hey guys, is it me, or are you hearing someone whispering something?" I asked. Everyone murmured their negative response, and I placed my hands on my hips. "Oh right, it's just me? Great." Not even Enzeru had heard the whispers.

"We don't want to get away from the mission, Reiko," he said, leading the group away.

_"Come."_ The same voice whispered, only it was a bit louder now. _"It's pointless to tell the others. You are the only person who can hear my voice. Now come."_ I turned all the way around and studied the dark hallway behind me. There definitely wasn't anybody there, but it looked _so_ inviting...so what did I do?

I headed down the hallway, right into the darkness.

_'"That's right. Follow the sound of my voice. After all, you __**are**__ wanting some answers to your questions, am I correct?"_ I nodded and continued to follow the voice. My curiosity was at its peak now; it wouldn't be long now before I was to come face-to-face with the person that was trying to communicate with me. _"Keep on going. You're almost there."_ I continued on, walking. Phasing -

Into the basement.

The rest of Yoru was still on the ground floor, having taken their investigation to the sixth-grade wing. They were having little success with the vibes, but they had yet to notice that they were short a team member. The sinister presence was still there, but it wasn't nearly as bad now. "You guys, didn't it seem to be a lot creepier when we were near the stairs?" Zander asked, and everyone nodded.

"That's a good point you bring up, Shatter. Let's head back over to the stairs and strategize there." Enzeru said, "Come on, Rei-" He stopped short upon sensing that I was no longer with them. "Where is she?"

"Now that I think about it, she did seem to be acting a bit off when we first entered the school," Banshee added, "you don't think she could've gone off on her own?" Suddenly, she heard a scream coming from downstairs, and she covered her ears. "That was Pink Widow! She's in trouble!" Enzeru ran ahead, leading the group downstairs to the basement, but on the opposite side.

"Professor, wait up!" Prowl called, but Enzeru seemed not to hear him as he, eyes glowing red in bloodthirst, continued to follow my telepathic link. Meanwhile, I was trapped in a corner, having been lured into a trap. How could I had been so stupid as to wander off on my own? It wasn't just stupid, it was suicide!

"G-get away from me..." I ordered, my voice wavering. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you do otherwise!" The imp-like creature bared its fangs and came closer, thirsty. I knew what it wanted - blood. It was obvious by the inhuman look in its glazed-over eyes, so when it touched my shoulder with its claw-like hands, my anger burst. _"That does it! Now you're gonna pay!"_ I stood upright, eyes glowing pink, and punched the imp square in its face. It flew backwards but kept its ground. _Are you kidding?_ I gave it a telekinetic toss into the wall furthest away from me before breaking into a run to the nearest door. It led me into a poorly-lit room, but at least I wasn't near that thing anymore. I didn't look back as I ran, nor did I look down. That was my undoing, as I then fell to the ground, the breath knocked out of me.

"Ooh, lookie at what we've got here! _Dinner!"_ A screechy voice oozed. I looked up and found myself surrounded by a ring of those impish creatures, two of whom lifted me by my arms and stood me onto my feet. "Your blood smells good..."

_"NO!!"_ I shouted. My psionic shield appeared, sending the imps away from me, and I faced them with my temper on fire. "When I tell you to do something, I expect a little bit of _obedience!! Now die!!"_ I focused my powers on them, and their bodies exploded, sending blood everywhere, splattering on my body. The sound of applauding came from behind, and I spun around. _Vampire. Its eyes are glowing red with a thirst for my blood._ I blinked my eyes just once, and he was gone.

"Your body is stained with the blood of my imps that I sent after you. How very brave of you to muster all of that courage and strength to defeat them all." I spun around to slap him, but he caught my hand in mid-air and lowered it to his mouth. "Silent but feisty. I do admire that type of person...ah." His tongue licked the side of my neck, the same spot that Enzeru himself had licked, and I gasped, pleading for him to get away. I cried out when his fangs slowly pierced my neck. Suddenly, the fangs came away from my neck, and I looked to my right. Enzeru was standing there, fist driven into the vampire's neck, after ripping his heart from his chest. "Oh..." A sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, and Enzeru quickly swept me from the ground to his arms, bridal-style. The rest of Yoru stood there, looking rather grim as they followed Enzeru from the school and back to the van.

"Frigid - take the team back to Haninsho," he said to Ichigo, holding out the keys. Ichigo took them. "I'll meet you all back there." Enzeru spread his wings and flew off, leaving the team behind as he held me tight in his grasp. "The one most precious to me has been bitten by another. That is an unforgiveable act." He was the first to arrive back at the mansion, and the first thing he did was lay me on the bed in the Sick Room. _If he was able to drink any of her blood, then she'll end up turning into a vampire. But if she's anything like me, then she'll already be a Jusuina, and this attack will have no effect on her whatsoever._ Enzeru began the long process of cleaning my blood-covered body up, first by removing my crimson-stained clothes. Then he soaked them in a bucket of hot water and washed me down with a sponge. My neck was last, and Enzeru took special care to not cause me pain as he wrapped a cloth bandage around it. _She didn't deserve this._ I remained covered with a single blanket as Enzeru sat down on a chair, cellphone in hand. Flipping it open, he hit the speed dial and placed the phone next to his ear. The person answered on the first ring.

"What is it, Enzeru?" The voice belonging to an older teenage boy, asked.

"There's been trouble." Enzeru responded and, without explaining what the trouble was, the boy said,

"I'm there." before hanging up. Enzeru turned to face me again and planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"I will never forgive myself."

_Thoughts going through my head...the vampire whose fangs pierced the skin of my neck, slowly sinking in..._

"Souma..?" A voice called, sounding distant, but I paid no attention to the sound of the voice - only the image of the implike vampire that was now in front of me. _"Souma..!"_ The voice was getting louder now, and the vampire reached forth to grab me. _"Souma!!"_ I sat up in an instant and snapped into focus.

"I want strawberries!" I exclaimed, raising my hand. When I looked up, Mr. Shiraki was in front of me, looking less-than-pleased with my sudden outburst. "Oh, Mr. Shiraki...I didn't even see you standing there. Ehe,...what's up?" I knew that I was in _deep trouble._..but why today, of all days?

"Since you seem to be in such a hurry to get home in order to eat strawberries, you can spend some of that time with me after school this afternoon." Mr. Shiraki told me, and I groaned. "Maybe that oughta teach you not to daydream in my classroom, hm?" He turned his back and walked back to the front of the room, and I lowered my arm in utter humiliation. It had only been half a day since the mission here at the school last night, but I wasn't about ready to let the attack on my neck go forgotten. It's not to say that I had lost any blood from that attack; thankfully Enzeru had shown up on time to spare me that horrible experience of having my blood drained, but now it made me wonder. If there were creatures like us - the Yoru - who existed to do good and were ostracized by a normal society simply because we looked different, then what was it that caused those that were evil to be driven beyond the point of no return into insanity? I had to know. I just _had_ to.

_Thump!_ I rose from my chair and ran from the classroom with my lightweight backpack in hand. "Hey, Souma! Where are you goi-?!" Mr. Shiraki called, "Reiko Souma!" I ignored him and ran all the way to the basement, to the exact spot where I had been attacked. The door was locked, so I had to phase through in order to get inside the room. There was the blood of the imps and vampires everywhere. I looked around. The corpse was no longer there, and I wondered what had happened.

_Who could've come and taken it away?!_ I wandered over to the corner where I had been forced to defend myself; there was a white paper that had been taped to the wall, so I took it down and read it right where I stood:

桃色の未亡人、  
私たち最後のミーティング偉大なて゛した。  
もし答えあなた捜す、でFirst National Bank合います。  
もぅ来ます。

_Go there alone?!_ I thought in disbelief. There was absolutely no way that Enzeru was going to let me leave the Haninsho for this, not when it was so late at night. Sighing, I crumpled the note up and stared at my hand, waiting for it to glow. It did, and the paper was engulfed in flames before burning down to nothing in my hand where it had been. I let my hand cool down while walking away, and the ashes that remained were blown onto the floor. _I don't want to go. Something isn't right about this._ I ran from the basement just as the bell rang and made my way out of the school. The buses were there, all lined up and waiting for the students to start coming, but my mind was set - I wasn't getting on that bus. I wanted nothing more to do with school whatsoever. It wasn't the most important part of my life, and I wasn't about to make it one, either.

"Reiko! Over here!" the familiar voice of Ichigo from less than a hundred feet away. I heard his voice and followed it to his dark green Sedan. "The professor asked me to pick you up today, saying that he doesn't want you to wake the bus or walk home alone. I hope you don't mind." he said as I opened the door and got in silently. "Nh?" Ichigo glanced at me while he drove without taking his eyes from the road, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from the school. "Reiko, about what happened last night-"

"I don't want to talk about it," I interrupted. "It's bad enough that I now have to live with the memory for the rest of my life." My eyes gradually shut as I sat back against the soft leather seat. "Just drop it," I added for good measure, and Ichigo heaved a sigh. The car ride, for the most part, was mostly silent with the exception of the soft sounds of an orchestra playing classical music on the radio. The tears formed at my eyes just as Ichigo was turning the car into the garage, and I unbuckled myself, running through the solid metal of the car and everything that served as my obstacle until I was hugging Enzeru. The tiny streams of tears, flowing down my face like a fountain that was about to dry up.

"Reiko, what are-?" He was about to say when I came running to him. Ichigo followed a few seconds later and stood inside the doorway. "Ichigo, what's going on here?" Enzeru demanded. "Reiko's crying." Ichigo gasped; he knew nothing of it. "You're excused." Just as quickly as Ichigo had appeared at the door to Enzeru's office he left again, and now it was just the two of us again.

"E-Enzeru...I can't go back," I said amidst tears, "I'm so scared..!" My hands squeezed on the back of his shirt; I didn't open my eyes, but rather shut them even tighter as I fought the images away, the images of the vampires and imps, closing in on me. I bit down on my lower lip and cowered in fear. "I'm so scared..."

"You don't have to be," he said lowly, and I looked up at the Jusuina, opening my eyes at long last. "from now on, all your fears will be banished. I will take them all away." How? That's what I wanted to know, but a knock at the door put my thoughts on hold for now as Enzeru said, "You may enter." The door opened and shut, and an unfamiliar presence entered in behind me. I turned my head to face the stranger and widened my eyes in fright. "Reiko, this is Kaito Hanabusa. Like me, he is also a Jusuina, a good one. I've asked him to come visit with you for a little while." I sized up Kaito and squeezed Enzeru in a tighter hug. "You don't have to worry, Reiko. Kaito knows what he's doing. He won't hurt you." He turned me around after gently peeling my arms from his back. "Go on, say hello." I took a couple of steps forward but stopped to look back. He gestured for me to go forward. "I'm right behind you."

_Yeah, right._ I thought, facing Kaito again. I took another step forward, then one more, and I was soon standing within a couple feet of him. 「こんにちわ、会とうさん。｣ I said at last, and Kaito bowed politely. "A...a pleasure to meet you."

"How do you do?" was Kaito's response as he too bowed and placed a hand on top of my head. "It's very nice to meet you, Reiko. You're more angelic than Enzeru let on." he teased. I turned to glance back at Enzeru, but he had vanished from the room already. "It'll be all right. Please, why don't you show me to one of the guest rooms? I trust Enzeru's done a wonderful job of raising you as a fine young lady." I gave a silent nod to this and walked through the closed door. Then, forgetting that I was to escort Kaito to one of the guest rooms down the hall, I opened the door again and gently tugged at his hand. "You're unusually quiet for someone so cute." Kaito allowed me to pull him along to the room down the hall. "I was informed of how talkative you can be at times. Am I not worthy of witnessing this for myself?" I refused to answer his question, and I even let go of his hand as the guest room was now to my immediate left. The door opened as soon as I turned to face it, and I stood there, giving a nod for Kaito to enter. _She still won't speak. Why? What vexes her so that her words have been locked away within her mind?_ Kaito put down his suitcases on the floor next to the open door and pulled me into his embrace.

_What..?_ I thought, startled. A soft touch to my neck from Kaito's finger running across the cloth bandage that Enzeru had wrapped around it (to hide the fang marks) made a shiver climb up my back slowly; the memories of last night rushed to the front of my mind, and I struggled to push Kaito away.

"Reiko, what's wrong?" he inquired.

"Don't touch me." I growled, finally freeing myself from him and dashing backwards a few feet, and my temper calmed as quickly as it had flared up. "Please...I can't bear to see it again."

"See what, if you don't mind my asking?" Kaito asked, clearly confused. I shook my head and ran back to my room, back to my own world. "Reiko!" I didn't turn back once, and Kaito sighed. _The poor girl. Though I can't blame her for not wanting to raise up the past._

_"Try to keep your mind focused on other things whenever you feel the memories starting to come back."_ Enzeru had said to me yesterday, and I was doing just that - I sat at my piano, playing the classical pieces of Mozart, Bach, and other well-known music composers in the hopes of banishing the thoughts from my mind. It was evening before long, and I was still playing when I found my eyes on the verge of drooping shut on me.

"Reiko." I stopped playing and looked over in the direction of the doorway. There was Kaito, standing there, leaned against one side of the door post. "It's late. Aren't you going to have dinner tonight?" he asked. When I didn't answer him, Kaito merely sighed and stood straight. "I've been asked to collect you for tonight's meeting."

_Pest._ I thought, rising silently. _I __**was**__ having a good night._ I teleported downstairs; it caught Kaito off-guard, but he was now more impressed than annoyed with me.

"Amazing..." he said. "Simply amazing." Kaito walked over to where I had been standing and kneeled down, giving the air a whiff before running his fingers where my feet had been positioned. When he raised his fingers to see what he had touched, he gave a soft gasp.

血。。。吸血鬼血。

_レイコ。。。吸血鬼です__?_

Notes: After writing this chapter (not to mention the first), I've come to learn a few things about using a Japanese keyboard. XP For one, trying to use an American-based laptop with another language is HARD! (Mainly because I don't have the characters in front of me like I used to when I was in school) Not so many translations this time around, thought I'd be kind enough to include the end song to Vampyre Knight; due to requests from VK fans for the complete lyrics to the song, I will try my best to get those lyrics for you! Please be patient! .

Translations:  
イムプ戦う Impu Takatau: Imp-Battling  
-「Hi Miss Alice. あなたガラスの目でどんな夢を。見られるの?見入られるの?またあたし心が避けて流れ出る。繕うって隙間にささるきゅくたち。Still you do not answer...still you do not answer.」 "Hi Miss Alice, anata garasu no me de donna yume wo. Mirareru no? Miirareru no? Mata atashi kokoro ga sakete nagare deru. Tsukurorutte sukima ni sasaru kiokutachi. Still you do not answer...still you do not answer.": "Hi Miss Alice. In your glass eye, what sort of dream? Are you seeing? Are you entranced? Once again my heart has split in two, and it's pouring out. The repaired memories are trapped in the space left behind. Still you do not answer; still you do not answer."  
桃色の未亡人、私たち最後のミーティング偉大なて゛した。もし答えあなた捜す、でFirst National Bank今夜合います。もぅ来ます。 "Momoiro no Miboujin, watashitachi saigo no miichingu idai na deshita. Moshi kotae anata ga sagasu, de First National Bank kon'nya aimasu. Mou kimasu.": "Pink Widow, our last meeting was great. If it's answers you seek, meet at the First National Bank tonight. Come alone."  
「こんにちわ、会とうさん。｣　 "Kon'nichi wa, Kaitou-senpai.": "Hello, Kaito."  
血。。。吸血鬼血。 Chi...kyuuketsuki chi: Blood...vampire blood.  
レイコ。。。吸血鬼です? "Reiko...kyuuketsuki desu?": 'Reiko...is a vampire?"

Characters:  
会とう英 Kaitou Hanabusa: "Answer Hanabusa" (aka Kaito)

さようなら!


	3. Chapter 3: 救助使命

Chapter 3: 救助使命

The library had become the chosen location for tonight's meeting. This was always the one thing about living under Enzeru's guardianship that I dreaded. Either somebody was being assigned additional duties as Haninsho, or Enzeru was going to assign us a mission to complete either as a team, individually, or in pairs. Tonight, he was obviously going to introduce Kaito as the newest member of Yoru, but Kaito was nowhere in sight. Where had he gone? I sensed Enzeru's mind wandering and was on the verge of opening my mouth when Kaito came walking down the stairs, hands inside of his pockets, and sat down on the only chair that was available - the chair that was next to me - and I was sitting next to Enzeru on the loveseat. The others hadn't left me with any choice, and the last thing I wanted was to sit in the Tardy Chair (named this because the chair squeaked everytime someone sat down or moved in it), so my spot was next to Enzeru.

"I apologize for my tardiness," Kaito said as he glanced at me before sitting down. At the sound of the squeak, we all covered our mouths and giggled. "it seems that I have a few things to get adjusted to here?" I refused to acknowledge the humor in his statement, but rather moved away from him and closer to Enzeru. Kaito wasn't doing a good job as far as first impressions were concerned, to me. In any case, Enzeru looked down at me and put his arm around me, sensing my uneasiness.

"Thank you all for coming," he began, "I would like to introduce to you all someone who has been a loyal friend and trusted colleague of mine for many years, Kaito Hanabusa. He will be residing here, starting tonight, in order to assist us in duty. You all know that it's my greatest goal to see man and mutant coexisting peacefully, accepting one another after eliminating the lines of discrimination, hostility, and hatred that has for so long seperated us. If we are to live out this goal, then we are all to do our part and speak with those with whom may be in the same situation as our kind."

_Not this again,_ Rini thought, resting his head on one hand and looking away, watching the fire burn brightly in the fireplace. I looked down at my hands boredly, knowing that there was no way I'd be able to do this when everyone at Hinder hated me as it was, not to mention that I didn't want to go back whatsoever.

"I realize that this may be difficult for those who have come from a lifestyle that has left a negative view on society," Enzeru continued, looking around at everyone present, "but we must not allow that to discourage us from acquaintancing ourselves with those people; in fact, it should have the exact opposite effect and _encourage_ us to become involved. After all, what good is a witness if he doesn't come forward? In the end, the crime will go unpunished because the good man did nothing to stop the evil. We cannot be the silent witness." At this, Enzeru pulled me closer to him, and now I wasn't even a centimeter away from him. "Last night wasn't our best night, if you all recall what happened. For the sake of Reiko's memory, however, I'm not about to raise any of the events that took place, but I _will_ say this: we need to work as a team and pull together if we wish to prevent anymore incidents in the future. All of you have been here long enough to know that teamwork is a must..." My mind wandered as Enzeru continued in his speech. I had heard it all so many times that I had memorized it, giving me no incentive to continue listening to his ten-page sermon. The bandage around my neck felt like a weight that wasn't causing me pain, but it was just sitting there, serving as a guard to protect the secret behind it. The fangs that had pierced them were filthy; I was grateful for whoever had cleaned me up that night, but I could never forgive myself for allowing my weaknesses to take over at the worst possible moment ever.

_I wonder what the others would say if they found out that I don't plan on going back?_ I looked up and studied the full moon. It was bright, for sure, but why did I seem to be the only one who noticed its brightness? Not that I knew this, but I decided not to make it a big deal while I studied the looks on everyone's faces. The expressions ranged everywhere from boredom and tiredness to attentiveness and genuine interest. If I had to agree with anyone at that moment, it would have to be Idol. He was the bored one, and so was I. _I shouldn't have come..._ I thought when I suddenly felt Enzeru's hand on top of my head. I looked up at him and chose that point to listen.

"We are to protect our Pink Widow, no matter what the situation may be," Enzeru was saying, "This precious flower is too afraid to even leave this mansion because of the evil that has chosen at this time last night to attack her at her weakest point - the very essence of her soul that makes Reiko the person that she is! Is this what we want, to allow our own kind to fall prey to the evil that runs rampant today?!"

"No, Professor!" Everyone save Kaito gave their own variation to this response. Kaito cleared his throat.

"Please forgive my interruption, Professor, but you should perhaps call it a night and calm your mind with a brief meditation?" he spoke up. "It's not good for your health if you allow your stress level to become dangerously high." Enzeru shot Kaito a look of Death, and Kaito's eyes met his. Everyone gasped at this, but we were able to breathe again when Enzeru's face softened.

"Please forgive me, everyone. I was wrong," he said, rising. "Meeting adjourned. Lights out at eleven. Good night." With a soft pat on top of my head, Enzeru walked down the hall, followed by Kaito. I rose to follow but was stopped by Ichigo's hand on my shoulder; looking back, he shook his head, but then Enzeru stopped. "Ichigo. Let her go." he said, and Ichigo removed his hand. I jogged to catch up with Enzeru, and the two of us went into his office. The door shut, leaving Kaito without any choice but to avoid interruption.

"Oto-san...why are you angry?" I asked, sitting next to Enzeru on his couch that faced the deck. My head rested against his chest.

"Because Reiko, the one who is most valuable to me has been attacked by one and let down by so many others," he answered. I was slightly taken aback at this, and he smiled. "I made a promise on the night that I found you, Reiko, and I intend on keeping it despite your willingness to disobey me. That is a promise that nobody can take away, by any means." He stroked my hair and smoothed it until I found tiredness coming upon me. "What is it that you have against school that you now don't want to go back, I wonder?"

"Everything," I told him just as my eyes drooped shut. "I can't just sit there when I already know what they know. And I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?" Enzeru asked, cutting me off. My eyes popped open again when he tilted my face upwards. "Listen to me, _nobody_ is going to hurt you, Reiko."

"What if I hurt them?" I countered, and he froze. I had him there. "You can't be everywhere at once, Oto-san. How do you expect to be my protector and professor at the same time?" He recovered then and pressed me close, holding me tightly. I watched blankly as Enzeru telekinetically removed the bandages from around my neck and put his hand over the wound.

"I will relieve you of the pain and heal your wound," he said, pulling me back and licking my neck. He kissed it next, and I could feel the pain leaving me. Even the puncture wounds left me. "Reiko, your blood yearns for me to drink it." Enzeru licked my neck again. _So innocent..._ He stopped licking and rose. "I can't. I could never forgive myself if I were to do such thing." My eyes followed his movement, and he turned to face me. "You may stay home tomorrow. I won't force you into going back if every inch of your body is against being there, but you must try to get some sleep."

"Yes, Oto-san," I said, standing. A yawn escaped my mouth as I walked over to Enzeru and gave him a hug. "Good night."

"Sleep well, Reiko," he replied, embracing me for a brief moment and then letting go. "Do try to eat something tomorrow morning." I nodded and let go, walking through the closed door and making my way back up to my room. I wasn't the least bit tired, so I changed my course and went to the kitchen instead. There was no point in going to sleep right away when I had to be faithful to maintaining my daily food diet and, knowing Ichigo (who did all of the cooking here), he'd left a plateful in the microwave for me. I went over and, sure enough, there it was - Ichigo's Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner, all piled up and waiting for me to eat.

_Great...he had to go and put broccoli on my plate,_ I thought with disgust. The garbage would certainly enjoy cheese-covered broccoli and brusselsprouts. I sat down with my plate and glass of juice...

"Can't sleep?" I recognized that voice in an instant - Kaito - and narrowed my eyes. "You don't need to be worried - I'm not going to keep you from your dinner," he said.

"Then why are you still standing there?" I asked, putting my fork down. I refused to eat in front of strangers, even though Kaito was going to be anything but. "You're no better than I am. The rules apply to everybody, no exemptions allowed. Now go away so I can eat." But he instead entered the dining room and sat across from me. "What do you want with me?"

"Your friendship, Reiko." I gave him a Look. "Everybody here at the mansion has welcomed me with open arms, except for you. Why do you inisist on making those faces of hate and hostility when I've given you no reason to hate me?"

"Because you're just like the rest of them," I answered bitterly, standing. "I could never accept someone who sides with the humans." My dinner went uneaten that night as I went back to my room without anymore detours and collapsed on my bed, blacking out as soon as my head hit the pillows.

"You're having trouble with Reiko," Enzeru said late the next afternoon, "I should've told you that night - due to the absolute evil and hatred by her parents, Reiko has taken on a hatred of her own against man and anyone who sides with Society. I've been working with her on not hating everyone who gives off 'the vibe of humans,' as she may have mentioned to you, but it seems like we're headed back to square one. Seeing you has all but undone all of the progress that we've made over the years."

"It's not hatred that I sensed though, Enzeru," Kaito said, standing behind the loveseat that Enzeru sat on.

"Explain, Kaito." Enzeru ordered.

「恐怖。レイコかの私に怖いです、エンゼル。私わ好きですません。｣ The looks on their faces were grim as the conversation went on; it was rather dreary out, and the wind had picked up, seemingly just seconds ago, after the sun had hidden behind the clouds. The weather report had promised rain, but they certainly hadn't anticipated a thunderstorm, that's for sure. When Enzeru rose from the loveseat and made his way over to where Kaito was standing, a flash of lightning lit up the now-dark sky, and Enzeru's eyes glowed a bright red.

「会と。｣ Enzeru said. 「レイコさまか桜です。恐怖かの私に恐怖です。私わ怖いです、会と。｣ For the first time in the many years that the two had been friends, Kaito could see that Enzeru was truly afraid. Despite his eyes glowing red with a thirst for blood, Enzeru was literally afraid to lose the one that he treasured as his 'special someone.'

「エンゼル。。。レイコちゃん。。。｣ Kaito's brown eyes flashed for a moment. "You can't safeguard Reiko forever. she needs to conquer her fears. How do you expect her to be your 'sakura' if you're allowing her to do whatever she pleases-!" In an instant, fear was replaced with anger, and Enzeru was on his feet in a flash, slapping Kaito across his face with rapid speed.

_"Never speed ill of Reiko, Kaito."_ Enzeru said, glowering. _"You don't know her - don't think that having Jusuina in your blood gives you the right to automatically make assumptions about anyone, __**especially**__ my Reiko."_ This triggered another silence, a staredown between the two colleagues that was intense enough to add ten degrees to the room temperature. Finally, "You're dismissed. Now get out of my face, Kaito." A wordless nod was Kaito's affirmative response as he turned heel and walked to the door. Before he opened the door and walked out he said,

"Go check in the pool if you're going to be her knight in shining armor." Enzeru let the door shut and stood there; he had the look on his face that would have left the assumption that he had been slapped across the face; Kaito's words were strong and painful, but they were very much true. The it hit Enzeru - _"Go check in the pool if you're going to be her knight in shining armor."_

_'Go check in the pool...' What did Kaito mean by that?_ He walked over to the balcony nearest his loveseat and looked out - since it faced the pool, Enzeru could see everything that went on from here, and when he looked down, it seemed that all was well. _Reiko's not even in the pool! So where could she be?_

_"...In light of recent events, the Environmental Protection Agency has closed down Mount Washington for a further investigation of what seems to be the next step in global warming. Photographers and camreamen aboard news choppers have captured these and other shots of the snow caps __melting__ from the peaks of the White Mountains. The exact cause of this is unknown; however, the EPA has advised travelers to seek an alternate route for their traveling plans, as well as another skiing location. All ski resorts within the White Mountains range have been closed down until further notice..."_ I was watching the news on the television in the Rec Area, curled up in the corner of the couch and covered over with a thick blanket. The thought of the snow caps melting off of the peaks of the mountains in the White Mountains had me worried; I loved the White Mountains, and it was one of my goals in life to go skiing from the summit of Mount Washington one day, maybe even climb Mount Everest. To have my dreams put on hold was like a piano sonata ending on a sour note; it stunk, but maybe, just **maybe**...there was a way to make the dream come true a few years early.

"Reiko? What are you doing in here?" Ichigo asked, having entered the Rec Area with a stack of supplies in his hands. The moment he saw me laying on the couch though, he put everything down on one of the tables and walked over to stand behind the couch. "Why aren't you in school?" I turned my head to face him and saw the warm smile on his face.

"Oto-san said I don't have to go back to school anymore," I answered, trying to sound cute. It worked on giving me sympathy, but not so well when it came to the way I had formed my thoughts into words.

"Reiko, if you give up on the humans now, then you'll have given them one of their greatest victories ever by dropping out of the scene forever," Ichigo said, and he went around to my left and sat down to my right. "It isn't like Reiko to give up on anything - the Reiko I know would keep on fighting despite her fears and show the people that she considers to be her enemies her true strength. She wouldn't surrender after being handed a loss on the battlefield...would she?" I went into thought based on what he was saying and closed my eyes. Ichigo was right, that much I would admit, but I just couldn't bear to go back to school. I opened my eyes to find Ichigo standing atop me, holding my face in his hands, as his eyes met with mine. "Reiko, give them another chance. If you would look at things from a different light, then I know that you would eventually come to accept the humans for who they are and not what flaws they have...think about it." I closed my eyes again, wishing that Ichigo's face wasn't moving closer and closer to my own; his breath tickled my nose, and I was close to sneezing when I felt his lukewarm lips touching mine for a few moments before they backed away again. "Think about it, Reiko," Ichigo said again before standing upright and moving away to replace the supplies where they needed to go. My face felt so hot from blushing just then that I had no time to turn away when I finally went,

"ACHOO!!"

A few things fell from their shelves inatantly after my loud sneeze, and Ichigo threw his hands up in the air. "Reiko!!" he complained, kneeling down and picking everything up. I rose silently and left the blanket behind as I floated out of the room with the television still on. Ichigo stopped for a moment to have a look at what I had been watching, but the reporter had moved onto the weather report, so he continued his cleanup project and let the thought pass. I, on the other hand, had my own preoccupations with other things. For one, it was over what I had watched on the news. It was something that I knew Enzeru would want to know, especially if it was a new mutant that posed as a potential threat to itself and others around them.

"Oto-san!!" I called, running up to the first floor and down the hallway towards his office. "Oto-san!!" I phased through the door into his office, but he wasn't there. _Where is Enzeru?_ I wondered, running to his room. He wasn't there, either. "Oto-san?!" I ran from his room and searched everywhere, calling out 'Oto-san' constantly. _This is odd. He would've answered me by now...where is he?_ I thought, back inside of Enzeru's office. It wasn't like him to not answer me whenever I was looking for him; fear began to surface within as I started to think, _What if he's in some kind of trouble?_ It couldn't be, though...Enzeru could take care of himself. I shook my last thought away and jogged over to the balcony before jumping clear over the railing and landing on my feet with a slight recoil near the pool. "Oto-san..?" I started to walk around the pool, being sure to stay at least three feet away from it as my search for Enzeru went on. _"Oto-san...where are you? Why won't you answer me?"_ I asked telepathically, walking into the garden area. First, I had to pass through the trellis gate that was covered in roses, which was something that not many people were able to do. In fact, only Enzeru had been the one to pass through the rose-covered gate successfully; nobody else was allowed to, but that was going to change today. I was going to be the second person to pass through the trellis gate successfully and live to remember the experience afterwards. It was within my distance now...one step, two steps...

There was Enzeru, standing in front of a nature-made bench, waiting for me.

"Oto-san!" I ran over to him and jumped into his arms; Enzeru stood there with his arms out, ready to catch me, and I beamed before I started to cry. "Oh, Oto-san...why did you not answer me when I was looking for you?" I wailed. "What...what is this place?" I asked suddenly, looking around. This garden was nothing like the garden that I imagined it to be; in fact, I couldn't even see the Haninsho anymore.

Had I entered through a portal into another realm of some sort?

Notes: I'm chugging away, but I am in _no way_ enjoying the heat wave that's hit my area. Who wants to be outside when it's in the 90's, but it feels more like the 10,000's, especially when there's not a pool or beach in sight? All the more reason to post stories for you anime fans, that's for sure! o I hope you enjoyed these chapters so far...okay, so Enzeru's got an attachment for Reiko that may seem a bit unhealthy, but it's bound to get better! Ichigo seems to have a budding interest for Reiko; Zander seems to have started avoiding her a bit. Something to watch for in the coming chapters, but on a different note, I've gotten requests from roleplayers on MySpace and Gaia to add their characters to this story, so I'm looking to fulfill their requests within the next few chapters. Don't forget to check out the translations below. n.n

Translations:

救助 Kyuujo: Rescue

使命 Shimei: Mission

「恐怖。レイコちゃんかの私に怖いです、エンゼル先生。私わ好きですません。｣ "Kyoufu. Reiko-chan ka no watashi ni kowai desu, Enzeru-sensei. Watashi wa suki desu-masen.": "Fear. Reiko's afraid of me, Enzeru. I don't like it."

「レイコさまか桜です。恐怖かの私に恐怖です。私わ怖いです、会と。｣ "Reiko-sama ka sakura desu. Kyoufu ka no watashi ni kyoufu desu. Watashi wa kowai desu, Kaito.": "Reiko is a flower. Her fears are my fears. I'm afraid, Kaito."

「エンゼル。。。レイコちゃん。。。｣ "Enzeru...Reiko-san...": (This is self-explanatory, so I'm not even going to provide a translation for this one. Easy enough.)

Japanese Vowels: (I will teach a little bit after every chapter.)

The Japanese have, for the longest time, used two different forms of writing in their language: Hiragana (Everyday vocabulary) and Katakana (Words borrowed from other languages). Kanji is the more complex form of Japanese that is very closely related to Mandarin Chinese and is still being added to today. The format below that you will be reading goes a little like this:

(Hiragana character) + (English Vowel/Romaji) + (Katakana character)

あ　 A 　 ア

い　 I　　 イ

う　 U　　 ウ

え　 E　　 エ

お　 O　 オ

That's all there is to it! First set of consonants coming soon!

さようなら!


End file.
